Lisa and Peter Kane

Recent Updates

Update #6

over 4 years ago

Last Tuesday, December 10, 2013 Myles went into surgery at Duke Medical Center to receive a new liver. The journey to get him to this place has been long, challenging and full of amazing events that have shown us the possibility of miracles. He came out of surgery on Wednesday, December 11th just before 5:00 am with a new life ahead of him and a new liver inside of him.

Myles was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, December 18th! His doctors are extremely pleased with his progress – his lab tests and vital signs are great…many people would still be in the hospital at this stage. He is staying at Elizabeth’s family home in Durham, NC for the next few weeks. He will be under the close supervision of the transplant team and Elizabeth. They have to carefully monitor his medication regimen, dietary restrictions, keep an eye out for signs of infection and rejection. He will stay in Durham for the next couple of weeks, so that he can go in for visits with the medical team regularly.

To say that Myles is in good spirits is a true understatement. He is so grateful, so aware of the immensity of what has happened. I want to share a quote from an email that Myles sent to our family:

“I won’t try to put into words what I’ve been through or experienced in the past few weeks, or year actually, it is impossible. But I will say that since the transplant, every day, at some point, my eyes fill with hot water and a smile washes over my face, and I feel the purest wave of positivity surging through me. To have been a conduit for all the bottomless love and support, and kindness, and miracles that I have received, I think, I hope this is my soul purging all of this from my system, not like a poison or bile, but sending it back into the universe, back to your hearts, back to good karma and good fortune, and outward and onward to the next person in need of this healing light in the world.” - Myles Kane 12/21/13

Our extended family is so very grateful to all of you who have supported Myles in so many ways. The funds that you have helped us raise have already made a big impact on the family. Just for starters, the last minute travel plans for Dennis and Janet so that they could be in North Carolina when he was in the hospital were made possible by your generosity. There will be more travel expenses, more medical bills that insurance won’t cover fully. Myles, Dennis and Janet, Elizabeth, Peter, all of us….we are grateful for your generosity. And we are grateful for the life and the liver that have been shared.

We ask that you join us in extending our deepest sympathies to the family who suffered a terrible loss. We don’t know who they are, but we know that we are grateful for their compassion that has allowed others to live on, due to the donation of the organs of their loved one.

BTW...the Fundraising Event in November raised over $5000!! It was a huge success! Thank you to all who attended, donated, shared, contributed. Thank you!!!!

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Myles and His Liver Transplant

Last Tuesday, December 10, 2013 Myles went into surgery at Duke Medical Center to receive a new liver. The journey to get him to this place has been long, challenging and full of amazing events that have shown us the possibility of miracles. He came out of surgery on Wednesday, December 11th just before 5:00 am with a new life ahead of him and a new liver inside of him.

Myles was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, December 18th! His doctors are extremely pleased with his progress – his lab tests and vital signs are great…many people would still be in the hospital at this stage. He is staying at Elizabeth’s family home in Durham, NC for the next few weeks. He will be under the close supervision of the transplant team and Elizabeth. They have to carefully monitor his medication regimen, dietary restrictions, keep an eye out for signs of infection and rejection. He will stay in Durham for the next couple of weeks, so that he can go in for visits with the medical team regularly.

To say that Myles is in good spirits is a true understatement. He is so grateful, so aware of the immensity of what has happened. I want to share a quote from an email that Myles sent to our family:

“I won’t try to put into words what I’ve been through or experienced in the past few weeks, or year actually, it is impossible. But I will say that since the transplant, every day, at some point, my eyes fill with hot water and a smile washes over my face, and I feel the purest wave of positivity surging through me. To have been a conduit for all the bottomless love and support, and kindness, and miracles that I have received, I think, I hope this is my soul purging all of this from my system, not like a poison or bile, but sending it back into the universe, back to your hearts, back to good karma and good fortune, and outward and onward to the next person in need of this healing light in the world.” - Myles Kane 12/21/13

Our extended family is so very grateful to all of you who have supported Myles in so many ways. The funds that you have helped us raise have already made a big impact on the family. Just for starters, the last minute travel plans for Dennis and Janet so that they could be in North Carolina when he was in the hospital were made possible by your generosity. There will be more travel expenses, more medical bills that insurance won’t cover fully. Myles, Dennis and Janet, Elizabeth, Peter, all of us….we are grateful for your generosity. And we are grateful for the life and the liver that have been shared.

We ask that you join us in extending our deepest sympathies to the family who suffered a terrible loss. We don’t know who they are, but we know that we are grateful for their compassion that has allowed others to live on, due to the donation of the organs of their loved one.

BTW...the Fundraising Event in November raised over $5000!! It was a huge success! Thank you to all who attended, donated, shared, contributed. Thank you!!!!

Join us for a Fundraising Event to benefit the Myles Kane Liver Transplant Fund

Saturday, November 16th 5-9 pm

The Kane Cousins are hosting the event at:

Geekhouse Headquarters - 12 Channel Street in Boston, MA.

There will be food and drink, prizes, live music and games. Donations will be accepted at the door. We look forward to a fun evening with friends and family. Generous supporters have donated artwork, gift certificates, and more as prizes.

No tickets are needed, just come on down to the Seaport District, near the Boston Design Center, the Bank of America Pavilion, and the ICA. We hope to see you there!

As always, thank you all for your support!

Myles Kane needs a liver transplant.

Update - Monday, October 14, 2013

We received news on Thursday that our 2nd brave family member was NOT cleared to be a living donor for Myles. The health screenings are very thorough, and because the surgery is completely elective, the medical team wants to be sure that there are as few risks as possible for the living donor. The physicians for our 2 family members have reassured them that they are very healthy individuals, and they did not uncover any serious health issues that will require treatment, but there were issues that increased risks associated with undergoing major elective surgery.

A family member is currently being evaluated by the medical team at Mount Sinai Medical Center to be a living donor for Myles. This evaluation requires MANY medical and psychological assessments to ensure that the procedure is safe for the donor and is a match for Myles. The donor would have 1/2 to 2/3 of their liver removed and transplanted to Myles. The donor's liver would regenerate in their own body, AND would grow to full size in Myles as well - AMAZING! We will have an update on this in the next few weeks. Of course, we are so grateful for the incredible generosity of our family members who have been willing to undergo this extensive evaluation and possible eventual surgery. There has been one other family member who went through the evaluation process and was found to have a possible underlying medical condition that precluded their eligibility.

Our gratitude to family, friends, and community is immeasurable. Love, blessings and thanks to all who have contributed in so many ways.

Myles Needs a Liver Transplant....

Myles has many connections to many fabulous people. You know that his creativity is endless, his humor is delightful, and he comes from a large extended and loving family. It is this extended family that is asking for your help today.

Myles has been dealing with a very serious medical situation. Given his humble and private nature, you may not have known that in 2006 he was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis that has caused serious damage to his liver. This illness damages the bile ducts in the liver, eventually blocking them and causing permanent scarring and damage to the liver. He recently spent almost a week in the hospital when the disease caused painful blockage of the bile ducts. The disease has progressed to the point that he needs a liver transplant. He is in good hands at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC, but getting a liver is a difficult and lengthy process. More than 16,000 people are on waiting lists for a liver transplant, and approximately 6,300 per year get a liver. More than 1,400 others die waiting each year. Getting a liver from a living donar is an option for Myles, and there are several family members who are in the process of being medically evaluated for this process.

If his health insurance covers 90% of that, he will be responsible for over $50,000. Other expenses include long-term medications estimated at up to $30,000 per year for the rest of his life. He may be responsible for his monthly health insurance premiums if he is unable to return to work for an extended period. There will be months of loss of income, travel expenses, recovery costs, not to mention ongoing costs of daily living - food, rent, etc. He just traveled to Duke University Medical Center in an effort to be listed in that region's transplant list. If a living donor becomes available, that person too will incur costs and loss of income due to surgery and recovery time.

Myles is a remarkable person. You may know him as a multi-media producer at the New Yorker (and from their softball team). Perhaps you attended last year's Tribeca Film Festival and saw one of his documentaries, Jourrney to Planet X. Maybe you are a Harry Potter and WizardRock fan and know Myles as the rapping house elf - MC Kreacher. Perhaps you saw him juggle at a Juggle This festival. Did you play basketball with him at Pratt, or sit with him in class at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA, or see him in a summer playhouse production at Andy's Playhouse in Wilton, NH? You may know his mother - Janet MacFarland-Kane, his father - Dennis Kane, or his younger brother - Peter, or his girlfriend, Elizabeth. Maybe you know someone in one of his clans - the Kanes and the MacFarlands.

Our dream is to see Myles with a healthy liver before the end of 2013. He will need your love and your support to see this through. We hope to raise enough funds to help Myles through this and on to a new period in his life. He will need these funds to cover out-of- pocket medical expenses, living expenses while he is out of work, travel expenses, and to help offset the costs that a living donor might incur. We appreciate your support!

Myles received a liver transplant!!!!

Last Tuesday, December 10, 2013 Myles went into surgery at Duke Medical Center to receive a new liver. The journey to get him to this place has been long, challenging and full of amazing events that have shown us the possibility of miracles. He came out of surgery on Wednesday, December 11th just before 5:00 am with a new life ahead of him and a new liver inside of him.

Myles was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, December 18th! His doctors are extremely pleased with his progress – his lab tests and vital signs are great…many people would still be in the hospital at this stage. He is staying at Elizabeth’s family home in Durham, NC for the next few weeks. He will be under the close supervision of the transplant team and Elizabeth. They have to carefully monitor his medication regimen, dietary restrictions, keep an eye out for signs of infection and rejection. He will stay in Durham for the next couple of weeks, so that he can go in for visits with the medical team regularly.

To say that Myles is in good spirits is a true understatement. He is so grateful, so aware of the immensity of what has happened. I want to share a quote from an email that Myles sent to our family:

“I won’t try to put into words what I’ve been through or experienced in the past few weeks, or year actually, it is impossible. But I will say that since the transplant, every day, at some point, my eyes fill with hot water and a smile washes over my face, and I feel the purest wave of positivity surging through me. To have been a conduit for all the bottomless love and support, and kindness, and miracles that I have received, I think, I hope this is my soul purging all of this from my system, not like a poison or bile, but sending it back into the universe, back to your hearts, back to good karma and good fortune, and outward and onward to the next person in need of this healing light in the world.” - Myles Kane 12/21/13

Our extended family is so very grateful to all of you who have supported Myles in so many ways. The funds that you have helped us raise have already made a big impact on the family. Just for starters, the last minute travel plans for Dennis and Janet so that they could be in North Carolina when he was in the hospital were made possible by your generosity. There will be more travel expenses, more medical bills that insurance won’t cover fully. Myles, Dennis and Janet, Elizabeth, Peter, all of us….we are grateful for your generosity. And we are grateful for the life and the liver that have been shared.

We ask that you join us in extending our deepest sympathies to the family who suffered a terrible loss. We don’t know who they are, but we know that we are grateful for their compassion that has allowed others to live on, due to the donation of the organs of their loved one.

BTW...the Fundraising Event in November raised over $5000!! It was a huge success! Thank you to all who attended, donated, shared, contributed. Thank you!!!!

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Fundraising Event in Boston - November 16th

The Kane Cousins are hosting a Fundraiser at Geekhouse Headquarters - 12 Channel Street, Boston. There will be live music, food and drink, prizes, games. The event is from 5-9 pm, and donations will be accepted at the door. Proceeds, of course, will go to Myles Kane Liver Transplant Fund. Hope to see you there!

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Myles and Living Donor Transplantation

Myles remains healthy enough to be a candidate for a living donor transplant. This means that a very healthy (and very generous) individual has 1/2 to 2/3 of their liver transplanted to Myles. The donor regenerates the portion of the liver removed (INCREDIBLE), and Myles regenerates the rest of the transplanted liver in his body (AMAZING!!)
Two amazing family members have already been evaluated by a medical team at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC...and underlying medical conditions kept them from being approved as living donors. If you are interested in knowing more about being a living donor for Myles, please go to: http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/organ-transplants/programs-and-services/living-donation/starting-the-donation-process.

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Note From Myles

Dear Friends, I have already been shown so much support and generosity, and I am in awe of the kindness in your hearts. For many of you who I haven't been in touch with (for a while), I was hospitalized this spring after a series of gastrointestinal complications, and am in need of a liver transplant. I've had wonderful doctors so far and my options for getting and surviving a transplant operation are good. So, I am busy preparing myself physically and mentally for this personal hurdle. Truthfully, the fact that transplanting organs from one body to another is even possible is mysterious and magical to me. (No flying cars or hoverboards yet in the new millennium, but iPhones and transplants are a great start!)
My family has set up this fundraising effort to help with all the costs that come with a life-changing event like this. My insurance is covering a lot of the medical procedures, but as we're finding already, the expenses that swirl on the periphery can be large and unpredictable.
This experience has made me aware of the incredible support group who are refusing to let me walk this road alone. I am thankful to have all of you in my lives. You've put the wind back in my sails! -love, Myles

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My's Fries Fundraiser at the Garden at the Cellar!

The Myles Kane Transplant Fundraiser team is thrilled to share that Brandon Arms, chef/owner of the Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge, MA has offered to donate a portion of the proceeds from every plate of truffle fries ordered for the month of September to our fundraising campaign. If you are in the area, pop on down to the Garden at the Cellar, 991 Mass. Ave in Cambridge, between Harvard and Central Square, and enjoy some of Brandon's awesome food and delicious truffle fries- have a great night out AND support Myles! A big thank you to Brandon and the entire team at the Garden at the Cellar for this generous offer.

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Many thanks to all who have donated and supported our efforts!

Our family is so grateful for the outpouring of support that we have received. The kind words and generous donations have been uplifting and we are reminded how fortunate we are to be in a circle of loving people. Thank you all. For more information about our Fundraise to support Myles Liver Transplant Fund...check it out: http://fundly.com/myles-kane-transplant-fundraiser